Fujifilm FinePix S4200 Review: Features Long Lens and Low Price

Fujifilm FinePix S4200 is a 24x optical zoom camera that is powered by AA batteries. The device comes in various technology including semi-manual shooting modes, manual and electronic viewfinder, all at very less price. Read the Fijifilm FinePix S4200 review to know in depth about this performance camera.

Pros

The FinePix S4200 features 24x zoom lens and is powered by AA batteries. The device comes at bargain price if considered electronic viewfinder, manual and semi-manual shooting modes.

Cons

The device feels and functions like a low end point and shoot camera. Users will find it disappointing when the camera will demand a lot of light to deliver a good photo or video in auto mode.

There are various versions in the same model such as FinePix S4500, S4400, S4300, and S4200. So, don’t get confused with the model number. The difference in all these devices is their lenses.

S4500 model comes with 30x f3.1-5.9 24-720mm lens

S4400 comes with 28x f3.1-5.9 24-672mm lens

S4300 comes with f3.1-5.9 24-624mm lens

S4200 comes with 24x f3.1-5.9 24-576mm lens

Rest everything about all these cameras are same including the sensor which is 14 megapixel CCD and image processor. Now coming back to FinePix S4500 camera, it is good for shooting performance as well as picture quality which are almost same in all including the design and features.

Design

The camera gets an appearance of dSLR-like body and is a point-and-shoot camera. If you are seeking for a high end compact device or good photo quality and shooting performance camera then this is not an ideal choice. Rather you should prefer FinePix HS30EXR.

This is not a pocket-friendly camera, but it is reasonably compact. The main attraction of this dSLR-like device is its wide-angle 24-576mm-equivalent lens. It has long right-hand grip which ensures better handling. Under the hood houses four AA-size batteries along with SDHC card slot. Also, it holds space for shooting controls. Due to the batteries, the weight of this camera increases, but its plastic body make it lighter than expected. The lens barrel and grip are dramatically surrounded with textured rubber.

At the back of this device, you will find a bright 3-inch LCD display above which sits a small electronic viewfinder (EVF). You can see all the settings on both display and EVF. For settings there are playback, Menu/OK, exposure compensation, display, directional pad for navigation as well as changing screen brightness, macro settings, flash, instant zoom feature, and much more. If you want to enter contextual shooting menu then press F-mode and to access shooting and setup menus, press Menu/Ok. These are standard stuff which once remembered will be easier to access.

Flash is manually raised through a button available at the left side. As far as the dimensions are concerned, the device measures 4.6 by 3.1 by 3.9 inches and weighs 19.1 ounces along with battery and media. The camera features a 3-inch LCD display that supports 230K dots and electronic viewfinder.

Performance

Its four AA size alkaline batteries give 300 shots straightly. There is a dedicated memory card slot given next to batteries under one roof. The camera supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. The camera is bundled with software such as FinePix Viewer 5.5 (Windows), MyFinePix Studio 3 and FinePix Viewer 3.6 (Mac). It carries mechanical and digital image stabilization type and supports JPEG and Motion JPEG (.AVI) file format for both stills and videos. Stills have maximum resolution of 4,288 by 3,216 pixels and 1,280 by 720 at 30 fps for videos. With 14 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch CCD type, the camera maintains 24x zoom, f3.1-5.9 24-576mm (35mm equivalent) aperture and focal length.

Both picture and video qualities have been explored by us for our avid readers who want to know how much this camera worth. Photo quality is good, unless you are outdoor in good lighting condition. In auto mode, the pictures come pixilated and of low quality. For good photos, you need to set shutter speed and ISO level. However, if you don’t set menus or use tripod while living in auto then this camera will not give you 100 percent satisfaction.

Just like other low to mid range compact cameras, this S4200 can deliver some good photos under ISO 200 which is reasonably a large size. The more you step in ISO level the less satisfied you might be in shooting indoors/using zoom lens.

You need plenty of light to boost the ISO level and have to keep faster shutter speed to catch the movement. If you increase ISO, remember that you will get noisy images and more noise reduction. Well, this is not a big issue and there are many cameras in this class that show similar results.

As far as movie quality is concerned, it is good for viewing at smaller sizes. Just like photos, low-light videos also look noisy. Zoom lens function while recording, but its moving sound gets recorded too.

Shooting in S4200 will provide good experience, but it cannot compete with little more expensive devices with CMOS sensors and high performance processors. You will experience noticeable slow performance and cannot recommend to those who require regular shooting of fast-moving subjects especially indoors. We had to wait before pressing the shutter release to fully start it. The shot-to-shot time is recorded for 2.4 seconds and 2.8 seconds along with flash.

The manufacturer has included some burst-shooting options at full and decreased resolutions. With 14 megapixels you will get six-shot burst that offers upto 1.5 frames per second. After the shooting, the camera takes little time in processing and storing for which we have witnessed up to 20 seconds of time in our test.

To control exposure, this camera includes both manual and semimanual shooting modes. Shutter speed has to be judged in controls which range from 8 seconds to 1/2,000 second. What is more interesting is the Panorama option available on the mode dial. So, you can just enjoy wide-angle shooting with this option. To start panorama shot, you need to press the shutter release. With panorama, you can stitch three images into one.

Advantage

With this device, you get megazoom lens, electronic viewfinder which is not included in other branded cameras at this price, decent photo/video/shooting performance outdoors or in good lighting, and full manual shooting modes. Those looking for budget and long zoom camera should opt for this one.

Price

The Fujufilm FinePix S4200 camera comes for a price under $200. The price is set between $149 and $279 as per bargain.

Conclusion

This camera comes for reasonable price, but it gives good zoom lens and other features including EVF which make it a low-budget digi-cam. The built and image/video quality is excellent, but it does create problem or low quality images/videos if lighting is not sufficient. It does provide good photos, but you cannot expect great images in auto mode. So, you need to set menus like shutter speed and ISO level for good results. If you are still using auto then remember a lot of lighting is required. Overall, the camera carries good features and long lens that is the most appealing part. It is one of the better mega-zoom cameras available in under budget section.

About Techie Cop

Thanks to law and enforcement, and the cops that implement it, the world is a safer and better place to live in. However, the technology world was always unprotected, without any laws, without any rules, without any patrolling, until TechieCop.com was launched. This website provides all the latest information, news and reviews about the latest technology, and guides you in all your buying decisions, so that you get value for your money. And what happens to the burglars that loot your money by selling outdated products? They go behind the bar. Welcome to the civilized world of technology.